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Livigno: piste guide

The slopes are on either side of the valley and mainly above the treeline. It’s not a good place in bad weather. Signposting is adequate, but the piste map does not name or number runs. Night skiing is available on Thursdays.

Extent of the slopes

The slopes are more extensive than in many other budget destinations, but it’s not a huge area and lots of the runs are very similar to one another.

At the north end of the village is the narrow Costaccia sector, reached by the two-stage Tagliede gondola (with the Cassana gondola and an adjacent six-pack offering alternative ways to the mid-station). From the top, you can cross to the Carosello sector by using two fast quads. The blue linking run back from Carosello to the top of Costaccia is flat in places and may involve energetic poling. Carosello is more usually accessed by the optimistically named Carosello 3000 gondola at the southern end of the village, which goes up, in two stages, to almost 2,800m. Most runs return towards the village, but the Federia six-pack serves west-facing slopes on the back of the mountain.

The ridge of Mottolino is reached by a gondola or fast quad from Teola, across the valley from central Livigno. From the top, you can descend to fast quads on either side of the ridge.

The link from the nursery drags at the bottom of Carosello to those below Costaccia is more of a walk than a run.

Fast lifts

The lift system is impressively modern, with fast chairs and gondolas covering both sectors – though draglifts still serve the valley nursery slopes.

Queues

Queues are generally not a problem, though delays can occur at the main gondolas at peak times. Winds can close the upper lifts, causing crowds lower down.

Terrain parks

The main park behind Mottolino is an impressive freestyle zone for all levels. It also hosts the World Rookie fest, which is on the Ticket to Ride calendar. It has kicker lines for all levels and is bordered by a big super-pipe. There’s also a huge airbag jump – perfect for trying out backflips and other advanced tricks.

Livigno’s second park is at Carosello 3000. It also caters for all standards and includes another huge airbag jump. The three other parks, all near lifts with the same names and aimed at novices and juniors are the Amerikan and the San Rocco near the Carosello gondola and the Del Sole near the centre of town. There’s a Woodpark too, with wooden obstacles. See livignopark.com and carosello3000.it.

Snow reliability

Livigno’s slopes are high (you can spend most of your time around 2,500m) and, with snow-guns on the lower slopes of Mottolino and Costaccia, the season is long. Piste grooming is ‘immaculate’.

For experts

There are a few black runs, but they are of black steepness only in places, and they are regularly groomed. The rules about off-piste have changed year by year the last few years (before 2012/13 it was banned completely). It is now allowed with or without a mountain guide or instructor. There are free avalanche awareness and equipment briefings on Sunday evenings plus daily avalanche bulletins in English posted on the resort’s website. Heli-skiing is available too.

For intermediates

There’s nothing too demanding but good intermediates will enjoy the groomed blacks on Mottolino, as well as the wide choice of reds. The woodland black run from Carosello past Tea da Borch is narrow in places and can get mogulled and icy in the afternoon. Moderate intermediates have virtually the whole area at their disposal. The long run beneath the Mottolino gondola is one of the best, and there is also a long, varied, underused blue going less directly to the valley. Leisurely types have several long cruises available; the blue beneath the fast chair at the top of Costaccia is a splendid slope.

For beginners

There’s a vast array of gentle, sunny, low-traffic nursery slopes rising from the village, with lifts concentrated in three areas: north, centre, south. For progression, there are longer blue runs at the top of Costaccia and Mottolino.

For boarders

The pistes are generally big, wide, open and rolling motorways. The new off-piste policy and the two big parks are obvious attractions for competent boarders. Beginners be warned: practically all the nursery slopes are serviced by drags and the runs along the ridges on both sides of the valley have some flat spots. Madness is a specialist school.

For cross-country

Long snow-sure trails (30km in total) follow the valley floor, making Livigno a good choice, provided you don’t mind the bleak scenery. There is a specialist school, Livigno 2000.

Schools and guides

Past reports on the schools have generally been good, praising instruction and English. Classes are rated great value for money, but are mornings only (as is usual in Italy).

For families

The schools run classes for children, and the Centrale school offers all-day non-skiing care for younger children; the staff speak English. Beware the long, winding airport transfers.

Where to Ski and Snowboard

This guide is taken from Where to Ski and Snowboard, written by Dave Watts and Chris Gill.